Construction of casings for books and particularly loose leaf binders



Dec. 17, 1935. F. 5 DE I 2,@24,882

CONSTRUQTION OF CASINGS FOR BQOKS AND PARTICULARLY LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Dec. 22, 1954 INQVENTOR BY fiPA/z/A J. 601/105 $7M! ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSTRUCTION OF CASINGS FOR BOOKS AND PARTICULARLY LOOSE LEAF BIND- ERS Application December 22, 1934, Serial No. 758,755

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of casings for books, loose leaf binders and the like, and has more particular reference to a method of forming and assembling the back and side panels which comprise the skeleton of the cas ing. One object of the invention is to so assemble the skeleton portions of the casing as to include a metal member in the back panel portion without materially adding to the cost and in a. manner to simplify the subsequent automatic machine application of the usual cover, hinge and lining sheets. Other and further objects and advantages residing in the assembly details and the resulting refinements and precision of the finished casing structure will be made apparent in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a plan view of a casing in flat form, made according to the invention, parts being broken away to show the inner construction;

Fig. 2 is an end View of the casing skeleton, certain of the side panel elements being shown in a distorted position;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing one manner of carrying out the method; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a detail of the cutter shown in Fig. 3.

It will be understood that in the drawing the thickness of certain of the parts has been exaggerated in the interest of clearness.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the skeleton of the casing comprises two superposed sheets of cardboard I and 2 having substantially the overall dimensions of the completed casing. Functionally the superposed sheets I and 2 are divided into a central back panel portion 3 and side panel portions 4 and 5, these portions being structurally defined by spaced lines of punched perforations 6.

According to my method a strip of thin metal I is inserted between the sheets I and 2 as the latter are assembled, which assembly may be made in either web or sheet form. The metal strip I is preferably somewhat narrower than the back panel portion 3, the width of which is determined by the spacing of the lines of perforations 6, and during the assembly of the parts the back panel portions of the sheets are cemented to the metal strip and to each other along the narrow zones 8 lying between the edges of the metal strip and the lines of perforations. The ends or the metal strip 1 are preferably flush with the edges of the sheets I and 2, and the strip 1 may be provided with oversize rivet holes 9.

The perforations are formed by punching so that some of the cardboard material is removed along the line of the perforations which is to become the hinge line of the casing. The individual perforations are preferably spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the punched openings, and while in practice this relation can be varied, the purpose and advantage of removing a portion of the material at the hinge line, which will shortly be pointed out, will indicate the desirable practice in this regard. 10

The thickness of the sheets I and 2 is such that combined they give the desired total thickness, except for that contributed by the covering and lining and hinge sheets, which is small. The metal strip I does not contribute substantially to the thickness. As above described, the sheets I and 2 are unattached outwardly of the lines of perforations 6, the sheets being spread apart in Fig. 2 to more clearly indicate their separation. This separation of the sheets over the side panel areas results, when the skeleton. is provided with the usual coverings, in a casing having limp or flexible sides due to the freedom of the sheets to move slightly relative to each other when the sides are bent, but obviously a stiff sided binder may equally well be secured by cementing the sheets I and 2 together over their entire surfaces when the members are assembled.

The covering of the binder may comprise the usual cover sheet It, the edges of which are folded as at I I around the periphery of the sheets I and 2, hinge strip I2, and lining sheets I3. The application of these covering sheets is made in standard types of automatic case making machines, this covering operation being simplified and more accurately carried out, since by my method of assembly the portions 3, 4, and 5 are a unit, more easily handled in the machine than independent panels. If desired, the side panel portions may be pasted together along one or more edges, or over some other restricted area. sufficient to assure that the sheets lie fiat during the covering operation, without substantially interfering with the flexibility of the finished casing.

After the covering of the casing the back panel 3 may Joe pressed or otherwise bent to curved book back form or left flat, and any desired form of loose leaf retaining mechanism I4 may be secured to the back panel as by rivets I5 passed through the openings 9 previously mentioned. When after completion of the casing the side panels are swung into their normal position at right angles to the back panel the back and side panels of the cardboard separate along the line of perforations 6 but without separating the than is the case where, as in prior methods, separate independent panels are held spaced from each other during the covering operation and loosely connected by the cover and hinge sheets. Furthermore, the back member of the casing which results from the manufacturing operations above described has all of the functional advantages of the back member disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 757,106, filed December 12, 1934.

In Fig. 3 is shown diagrammatically the steps 7 of my'method of constructing the skeleton of the casingwhen the assembly is carried out with the various elements still in web form. As there shown, two webs of cardboard 2!! and 2| to form the sheets I and 2 are fed between pressing'rolls 22, a web or ribbon '23 of thin metal for the metal insert 1 being fed centrally between the webs 2B and'2 I Suitable punches 24 form the rivet openings 9 prior to the enclosure of the ribbon 23 between the cardboard webs. Rolls 2?: apply a suitable paste or other cementing material to the adjacent faces of the webs 20 and 2| to secure the several Webs together upon their passage through the pressing rolls 22. The multi-ply web 26 now passes beneath a punching roll 21 which forms the lines of perforations 6. A rotary or reciprocating cutter is-indicated at 28, which i severs completed casing skeletons 29 from the multi-ply web. The cutter 28 may be formed with curved wings 30 to round the corners of the casing, or a straight cutting edge may be used if the casings are to have square corners. The cementing rolls will be of a length to cove-r only the areas of the webs between the perforations when'a limp binder is to be made, or of a length to apply adhesive to the entire surface a of the web When the binder is to have stiff sides.

And other variations may be made, as will be obvious. a

I claim:

1. The method of forming casings for loose leaf binders and the like which comprises assembling in superposed relation two plies of cardboard having the overall flat dimensions of the casing to be built, with a strip of thin metal positioned between said plies in that portion of the plies which is to become the back panel of the casing, cementing the plies to the metal strip, weakening the plies along lines defining the long 5 edges of the back panel and applying the usual cover, hinge and lining sheets to the so assembled and weakened cardboard plies.

2. The method of forming casings for loose leaf binders and the like. which comprises assembling 10 in superposed relation two plies of cardboard having the overall flat dimensions of the casing to be built, with a strip of thin metal positioned between said plies in that portion of the plies which is to become the back panel of the casl5 ing, cementing the plies to the metal strip and to each other at least over the back panel area, perforating the plies in a manner to remove a. portion of the material along lines defining the long edges of the back panel, and applying the 20 usual cover, hinge, and lining sheets to these assembled and perforated cardboard plies;

3. The method of forming casings for loose leaf binders and the like which comprises assembling in superposed relation plies of cardboard in web 25 form having a width substantially equal to the overall width of the casing to be built, inserting centrally between the webs, as the latter are assembled, a strip of thin metal of slightly less -width than the desired width of the back panel of the casing, cementing the webs to the metal strip and to each other at least over the back panel area to form a composite web, perforating said web in a manner to remove portions of the material along lines defining the long edges of the back panel, transversely severing from said web a length substantially equal to the desired overall length of the casing, and applying the, usual cover, hinge and lining sheets to the severed length to complete the casing. 40

a 4. The method of forming casings for loose leaf binders and the like which comprises assembling in superposed relation two plies of cardboard having the overall fiat dimensions of the casing to be built, with a strip of thinv metal positioned between said plies in that portion of the plies which is to become the back panel of the casing, cementing the plies to the metal strip, treating the plies along lines defining the long edges of the back panel to decrease the resistance of the plies to folding and. applying the usual cover, hinge and lining sheets to the so assembled and treated cardboard plies.

FRANK STANLEY SCHADE. 

